Irish airline passengers received €1.197 in compensation in 2024 for complaints upheld by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) against airlines.
The aviation watchdog also obtained €360,104 in refunds for passengers.
The IAA’s 2024 annual report stated that 1,943 complaints against airlines were not upheld. The main reason for this, according to the report, is that air carriers were able to prove disruptions were caused by extraordinary circumstances, therefore exempting them from paying compensation.
Of the 1,726 complaints upheld, flight cancellations (973) and long delays (677) formed the vast majority of reasons.
Last year, Aer Lingus accounted for 33 per cent of all complaints and Ryanair accounted for 31 per cent, the report said.
It stated that “complaints against Aer Lingus are down 6pc year on year despite significant disruption in June and July 2024 due to industrial action which resulted in the cancellation of over 500 flights”.
The report noted that the IAA handled 4,425 complaints against airlines in 2024. This included complaints carried over from 2023 and 2,211 complaints submitted in 2024.
Dublin Airport reports its service quality performance to the IAA monthly and the report said that security queue times have improved markedly since 2023. In 2024, security queue times exceeded 30 minutes on six separate days, down from 20 days in 2023.
The IAA also monitors quality of service at Dublin Airport across 15 passenger satisfaction metrics. In 2024, Dublin Airport secured a €4.5 million passenger quality-of-service bonus, but also a penalty of €3.8 million under the same heading. This resulted is a net bonus of €700,000.
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The IAA recorded a pre-tax profit of €2.57 million in 2024 as revenues totalled €37.43 million. Its legal costs last year came to €1.55 million. The report also stated that legal costs in respect of a legacy defamation case from 2014 were settled for €407,486 following a Supreme Court decision.
Numbers employed came to 189, with 134 engaged in safety regulation. Staff costs totalled €22 million, with the report stating that 91 employees earned more than €100,000. This included five in the pay range of €175,000 to €200,000, 24 earning between €150,000 and €175,000 and 41 earning between €125,000 and €150,000.
